Stilt.



STILT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1902.

no MODEL. 3 SHEETS-sum 1 I V I 0 PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

L. L. ROBERTS.

STILT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1902.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

NO MODEL lgael iwh aromas. WASH'NGT No. 738,240. PATBNTED SEPT. 8, 1903. L. L. ROBERTS.

STILT.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1902.

no MODEL. 3 sums-sum a.

Wit asses W b UNITED STATES Patented September 8, R903.

PAT NT OE IcE.

LUKE L. ROBERTS, OF BRUNNER, TEXAS.

STILT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,240, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed May 9,1902. Serial No. 106,632. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, LUKE L. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brunner, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented anew and useful Stilt, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stilts.

The object of the invention is to provide a stilt in which the step or foot-support shall be associated with the pole in such manner as to permit of its ready longitudinal adjustment thereon and its positive securement in its adjusted position; furthermore, to provide a stilt which shall combine simplicity of construction with high efficiency and durability in use and cheapness of production.

Another principal object of my invention is to eliminate the jar commonly produced at every step when stilts with rigidly-fastened steps are used.

.Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a stilt, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there are illustrated eight forms of embodiments of the invention, each capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof, and in the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a stilt embodying one form of the invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and S are similar views of modified forms of the device.

Referring to the drawings and to Fig. 1 thereof, 1 designates a pole which is preferably rectangular in crosssection and is provided on two of its opposite sides with series of stops or notches 2 and 2, which may be constructed as shown or otherwise and are arranged in staggered order with relation to each other. Adjustably connected with the pole is the step or foot-support 8, the lower inner end of which is provided with a projection or offset 8 to engage with the series of stops 2. Secured to the foot-support is a stop-engaging device composed of two members, a stop-engaging member- 10 and a pole engaging or clamping member ll. These members are bypreference made of wire, and the stop-engaging member 10 is bent to lie against the sides of the pole, thence laterally outward to lie against both sides of the step, with which, it is held firmly associated by suitable fastening means, as staples 12, and thence rearward along the side of the step to a point slightly within the pole, where its terminals are formed into eyes 13 to engage loops 14 of the clamping member 11, which latter is provided with two members 15 and 16 to bear against the rear edge of the pole and with two members 17 to bear against the sides of the pole, the latter members being provided with loops 14. Itis to be understood that in this figure, as well as in Figs. 2and 3, the parts of the step-support are duplicated on the opposite side of the stilt, and as this will be readily understood but one side of the stilt is shown. It will be observed that the lower arms 18 of the stop-engaging member are free from attachment of the step from the bend 19 back to the loop of the clamping member, the natural tendency of the armslS being to force the clamping member downward,and thus into engagement with the pole, thereby operating to bind the offset 8 firmly within its stop. To effect adjustment of the step shown in Fig. 1 the clamping member is forced upward, thereby pushing the 0&- set out of engagement with its stop and at the same time the stop-engaging member 10 out of engagement with its stop, and by drawing back upon the latter member the step may be adjusted longitudinally on the pole in either direction desired.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the step-engaging member 20 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1; but the arms 18 instead of being extended back to the pole terminate about midway of the length of the step and are provided by eyes or bends 21 to be engaged by the terminals of a pair of arms 22, the outer ends of which are secured in a plate 23, carrying a set-screw 24:, adapted to be turned into engagement with the pole member, and thereby clamp the ofiset 8 in its stop, the stepengaging member 10 being held in its stop by reason of its inherent resiliency. To effect adjustmentof the step, the set-screw 24 is loosened and the clamping member 10 thrown out of engagement with its stop, after which the step is moved to the desired point and clamped in the position, as before.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the upper portion of the slot-engaging member 25 is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but the arms 26 are bent upon themselves and looped or hooked into the loop-engaging member at 27 to impart the necessary resiliency thereto to cause it positively to engage its stop, those portions of the stop-engaging member lying against the step as well as the arms being secured in position by suitable fastening means, such as staples 28. The clamping member 29 is practically a yoke having its terminals bent at right angles to its length and seated in openings 30 in the step.

The crest of the yoke 29 has associated with it an eccentric-bearing lever 31, the head 32 of which is designed to bear against the rear side of the stilt, and thereby securely clamp the offset 8 in its stop. To elfect adjustment of the step in this latter form of the embodiment of the invention, the lever is rocked to move its head or eccentric out of engagement with the pole, and the step is then moved to the desired point, after which the eccentric is turned back to its locked position.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 the step is constructed of a single piece of resilient material having a rectangular opening to receive the pole and to present a lip or tongue 33 to engage a stop at the rear'side of the pole and with an inturned lip or tongue 34 to engage a stop on the front side of the pole, and, if preferred, a screw or other form of fastening device 35 may be employed for holding the latter lip in engagement with the stop, although in practice the use of this supplemental deviceis not absolutely essential, as the construction of the step is such as to cause the lips 33 and 34 positively to interlock with the stops.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the step is constructed of a piece of wire having one terminal bent to present a rectangular pole-engaging member 36, thence twisted upon itself, as at 37, to present the step proper, the twisted portion terminating at 38 in an upturned portion constituting a guard, and the ends of the wire are then diverged and passed aroundthe side of the step 37 back to the pole, at which point they are again twisted together in a vertical plane, as at 39, and the terminals are finally bent into two step-engaging members 40,which embrace the front and two sides of the pole, the ends of the terminals having associated with them a resilient clamping member 41, which embraces the pole at two points. In this form of embodiment of the invention the stops 42 are disposed on the front side of the pole and are engaged by the members 40, as above described, and to eitect adjustment upon the pole the step is rocked upward to throw the members 40 out of engagement with the stop, whereupon the step may be moved to another stop, and when released the clamping member 41 will instantly draw the members 40 into engagement with the stop.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 the step is also constructed of a piece of wire bent to form a stop-engaging member 43, thence twisted upon itself to form a step proper, 44, thence into the end coils 45, which constitute guards,thence backward and slightly below and parallel with the step 44, the ends being passed through the stop engaging member 43, thence twisted upon themselves at 45,and thence bentaround the pole to present a clamping member 46, the stops 47 in this form of embodiment of the invention being at the rear of the pole.

In the forms of embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the step is constructed of two pieces of wire, one of which is bent to present a pole-engaging member 48 and thence twisted or plaited to present the step 49, the members then being turned and run rearward along the side of the step, as at 50, thence turned over the pole-engaging member 48 and downward and twisted together, as at 51, the terminals being bent laterally and around to present pole-engaging members 52, the terminals of which are flattened at 53 and have associated with them a resilient clamping member 54. The stops in the form of embodiment of the invention are composed of openings 55, which are adapted to be engaged. by a stop-engaging member 56, composed of a length of wire having one end bent to present the step-engaging member 56 and having the remainder of its length interwoven with the step 49, as shown at 57, and finally bent around the clamping member adjacent to the pole, as shown at 58. To effect adjustment of the step, the same is moved upward to bring the member 56 out of engagement with the stop, whereupon the step may be moved to the desired point, and the member 56 will again engage the stop and be held there by the clamping member 54.

Under each of the forms of embodiment shown and described simple and efiective provision is made for holding the step in its adjusted position on the pole and to permit of ready shifting when desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stilt comprising a pole provided with stops, a step, and resilient pole-embracing means connected with the step and engaging the said stops.

2. A stilt comprising a pole provided with oppositely-disposed stops arranged in staggered order, a step provided with means for engaging the stops on one side of the pole,

and resilient means embracing the pole and silient material, and means for fastening said engaging the stops on the other side thereof. step to said pole.

3. A stilt comprising a pole provided with In testimony that I claim the foregoing as oppositely-disposed stops arranged in stagmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in gered order, a step provided with means for the presence of two Witnesses. engaging the stops on one side of the pole, re- I silient means embracing the pole and engag- LUKE ROBERTS ing the stops on the other side thereof, and pole-clam ping means connected with the step.

4. A stilt comprising a pole, a step of re- Witnesses:

D. T. CHAMBERS, B. E. CHAMBERS. 

